Comparative clinical assessment of cotton hair thread and silk suture on surgically induced skin wounds on New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cunnicullus)

Abstract

The gross tissue reactivity, bacterial load counts and clinical parameters were investigated following the use of cotton hair  thread (CHT) and silk suture on surgically induced wounds on rabbits. Twelve clinically healthy male rabbits of New Zealand  breed were used. They were acclimatized for two weeks and randomly assigned into three groups A, B and C of four (4) rabbits each. A 6 cm long paralumber skin incision was aseptically performed in both groups of animals using xylazine and ketamine.  The incised skin wounds in groups A and B rabbits were apposed with conventional silk and cotton hair thread (CHT) sutures  respectively while no surgery was performed in the group C rabbits. The sutured sites in the groups (A and B) were evaluated for both bacterial load counts and gross features: swelling, erythema and percentage suture breakage and scored at  post-surgical days (psd) 1, 7, 10, 14 and 21. Clinical vital signs: heart and respiratory rates and temperature were evaluated  in the three groups before (day 0) and during the above psd. The means of the bacterial load counts, clinical vital parameters demonstrated no statistical significance (p > 0.05) in the study. There was no significant different (p > 0.05) in the gross  tissue reactivity in the two groups throughout the period. It was concluded that CHT showed promise for possible use as skin suture in rabbits.

Keywords: Silk, Cotton hair thread, Rabbits, Incision, Bacterial load, Surgically induced skin wounds